A Second Fate
by lozlife
Summary: A slightly altered ending to Majora's Mask sends Link back to the world from which the Hero of Time had vanished. Back in his homeland, in his adult body, Link is determined to regain the things he lost, and reunite with the ones he loves. But Zelda didn't think she'd ever see him again. (post OoT/MM; set in the world of OoT Hyrule - adult timeline. zelink).
1. Chapter 1

Hello all, and welcome to my latest story, which takes place in the child timeline post Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. This first chapter features a slightly altered ending to MM to get our story going.

This WILL be a zelink fic; however, Zelda is not in this chapter. I just needed to establish Link's backstory first before we can get to the good stuff.

I really appreciate reviews! Let me know what you think, even if you don't like it. I'll take constructive criticism so that I know what people are looking for!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Epona stood beside her unconscious master, neighing frantically in an attempt to awaken him. He was out cold, lying face down on the ground in the middle of Termina Field.

Epona whinnied louder, rearing on her hind legs as she grew more concerned for the young hero, who had just defeated Majora and rid the world of the evil moon. Slowly, Link began to stir and rolled to his side. His eyelids fluttered open and he gathered his surroundings.

 _It was finally over._

Though only three days of real time had passed, Link felt that he had been in this hell for an eternity. He hated Termina. He hated the town, the dark swamp, the cold mountains, and the eerie graveyard by Ikana Canyon. He felt like he was going out of his mind, constantly running, fighting, and working, just to pull out his ocarina and erase it all in a second.

If being the Hero of Time didn't make him insane, this sure as hell did.

Link could not be any more eager to get out of that place. He pushed himself off the ground and climbed on Epona's back. He kicked his foot against her side and rode her through the entrance to Clock Town. Epona usually did not accompany Link into inhabited towns, but Link couldn't care less. He was ready to leave this upside down world, and there was no way he was going to be separated from Epona again. Link knew he needed to get to the Clock Tower, and he was taking her with him.

As soon as he reached the base of the tower in the center of town, Link dismounted Epona and headed towards the entrance.

"I'll be right back, girl," he assured the young horse.

Link pushed open the large wooden doors and stepped inside the tower.

The salesman was there, smiling and standing by himself, as usual. He said nothing as Link approached him. Link reached into his pouch and pulled out the item the salesman had sought after for so long.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, a look of delight spreading across his already smiling face.

"So I see you've done it. You finally brought me Majora's Mask."

Link said nothing, extending his arm to hand over the horrible, ugly mask.

"Thank you for bringing this to me. However, I must say, I am not surprised you were able to accomplish this."

Link remained silent, an expression of stone covering his dirty, sweat-drenched face.

"Rest assured, you will be rewarded for bringing this back to me. I know how eager you are to get home…" he trailed off, laughing quietly as he rubbed his hands together.

"I'm sure you're ready to go there now. Very well, a promise is a promise. You helped me, so I shall help you," he said. Suddenly, his expression changed from a wide grin to a blank expression. The salesman snapped his fingers and once again, a giant piano appeared out of thin air.

Before he began to play on the magical instrument, Link spoke up.

"I am from Hyru-"

"Don't think me ignorant of who you are…..….Hero of Time," the man interrupted. "I know of how you travelled across lands and through time itself to defeat Ganondorf. I know of how the lovely Princess Zelda sent you back to your childhood after you accomplished your…goal," he continued. A smile that exposed all his teeth spread slowly across his face.

Link stared at the strange man before him, his mouth agape as he tried to figure out what was happening. _How did he know about any of that? I thought Zelda and the other sages were the only ones who really knew…_

The Happy Mask Salesman touched one of the keys on his piano, ever so gently. He let a few beats pass, then played another note. He continued to play soft, sporadic notes as he turned his head to face Link.

"But.. perhaps….. you wouldn't like to return to where you came from at all."

He started to play a little faster, no longer staggering the notes between series of long pauses. Soon enough, he was playing a pattern of notes that Link recognized.

"Maybe you would not like to go back to your lonely childhood in Kokiri Forest, where nobody ever really understood you. Maybe you do not wish to remain a man locked in a child's body, unable to claim what he truly desires."

The music got louder, and the interior of the clock tower echoed with a song that Link wondered how the salesman came to know: Zelda's Lullaby.

"Maybe, young hero, you would like to go back to a place where you truly matter? Where people actually _remember_ how much you helped them. Where the monsters and beasts you slay remain dead, because you didn't turn back the clock three days. Where people actually appreciate how you saved their souls, because the evil you fought didn't occur seven years in the future."

Link's head was swimming with questions, and even a little fear. He hadn't the slightest idea of how this man knew even half of the things he was spewing out as if they were common knowledge.

As the song reached its end, the music grew slow and quiet, just like it had begun. The smiling man whirled around on his seat to face the small boy in green.

"Maybe…..Link..….you wish to return to the moment in time where your heart truly lies. Ever since the day you defeated him…when the castle crumbled to ruins around you….you have been that man. You never belonged in this body.

"You childhood ended before it even began."

The music stopped, and the room was quiet. Link stared at the man before him, thinking about what he was offering.

"Yes," Link said, making his decision.

The musical mask salesman had only affirmed the fears and grievances Link had been repressing since he returned to his childhood body. Throughout the duration of his time in Termina, Link had wanted to leave. But he didn't necessarily want to go home.

The mask man smiled, turning around to face his piano once more. He threw himself into his music, playing a song Link did not recognize. He played louder and louder until Link thought his eardrums were going to burst. He felt tingly all over, which he thought was just an effect of the music, until he looked down and saw his body being surrounded by a swirl of blue light. It circled up his body in a spiral, engulfing his vision until he could no longer see the walls of the room and the piano within.

The music continued, maintaining the same volume as Link spun in the orb of light that now encompassed his whole body. He started spinning rapidly, his vision blurring as he began to lose all feeling in his limbs. He spun faster and faster until he became completely disoriented, feeling as if his mind had disconnected from his body completely.

Then suddenly, the music stopped. The spinning gradually decreased, and Link regained feeling in his body. It wasn't until the movement ceased completely that Link noticed that changes in his body. Longer legs, stronger arms, bigger hands, a broader frame.

Link was an adult again.

His larger body was now frozen in midair, but he felt himself being lowered towards the earth. His line of sight remained blinded by the blue light. Eventually, Link felt his boots hit the ground with a soft thud. The light faded around him, and he could see trees and the silhouette of Death Mountain in the distance. He inhaled the scent of the forest around him, and felt the life return to his temporarily suspended body.

He was home.

Link moved around slightly, getting used to the feel of his new body. He felt so high up off the ground, and so much heavier. But he felt _right_. The mask salesman was right, Link had never truly returned to his childhood. After all he had been through, it felt wrong, unnatural even, for someone like him to inhabit the body of an innocent child.

He checked the contents of his pockets, finding that none of the items he possessed in Termina were there. Not even the Ocarina of Time.

Link wasn't surprised.

He then surveyed his surroundings some more. From the landmark that was Death Mountain, he could guess his approximate location in the kingdom. He turned to look for the only thing he really cared about at this point. Although he couldn't make it out from where he stood, he knew where Hyrule Castle would be.

 _Zelda_.

A loud whinny, followed by the sound of galloping hooves, echoed from a distance and Link whipped his head around. A fully-grown Epona was running towards him, seemingly coming from no where.

 _Thank the goddesses,_ thought Link to himself. He was glad that the mask salesman knew to send Epona along as well. Link climbed atop his trusty mare and began riding with her down the dirt path of the forest. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but he rode with all the energy and determination in the world. He hadn't been riding for very long when he heard a voice in the air, one that seemed to be coming from all directions, surrounding him completely. Link wasn't sure if the noise was right next to his ear, or a thousand miles away.

A dark chuckle rang through the air, carrying itself through Link's veins.

"You really have met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the beginning of the story. Thanks to everyone who's read/reviewed/followed/favorited so far! We're now in the adult timeline, so this isn't going to strictly follow canon. An OC is introduced in this chapter. With that being said, I will try my very best to stick as close to canon as I possibly can, given the primary plot of this story. Anyways, here's chapter 2! Let me know what you think.

* * *

Link was, characteristically, a very alert person. He paid attention to detail and processed his immediate surroundings for potential threats and secrets. It was a natural skill that helped him tremendously as an adventurer. But now, as Link raced through Hyrule Field, his mind was filled with nothing but white noise. So much had happened in the past 24 hours that Link figured his mind wasn't even going to bother trying to process it all now. The wind whipped through his blonde hair as Epona maintained a steady speed, running through the grassy plains of the land. After what could have been a few hours or a few minutes, Link could finally make out the drawbridge leading to Castle Town. He furrowed his brow and urged Epona to go faster, bringing him closer to the gate as night fell upon the kingdom. The last of the sun's setting rays sunk below the horizon just as Link and Epona arrived at the drawbridge. Unlike when Link was a child, the gate did not close in time with the sunset. Still not completely sure what he was doing, Link slid off his horse and stared at the path before him. The last time he was in this world, he left too quickly to really see what happened to Hyrule. He hadn't the slightest clue of what happened to the town, the castle, and the rest of the kingdom since Ganonorf's defeat. Ready to catch up on what he missed, the hero in green headed towards the bridge.

Once Link had walked through the town's entrance, he saw what had become of Castle Town since his departure. Many of the shops were in the process of being repaired. Buildings that were once abandoned, deteriorating, and boarded up were now being reconstructed and renovated. Every single building, except for one - the Happy Mask Shop.

Link shuddered at the memory of the strange man who was responsible for sending him to this place. He wondered where he was now, and what he was doing. Link continued along the stone sidewalk through the town, walking towards what used to be Ganon's Castle.

The castle, now reclaimed by its rightful owner, was also in the midst of reconstruction. The main groundwork had been laid, and there appeared to be a second story in use, as Link could see lights in some of the higher-level windows. Most of the towers had not yet been rebuilt, however, and some of the finer finishes, such as window frames and other decorative features, had not yet been added. Overall, the castle - and the town - still looked barren and broken.

Just like when Link was young, a small army of guards was stationed around the outside of the castle. Their individual posts were slightly different than Link remembered, and there were definitely more soldiers near the castle's front doors. Link mapped out the area with his eyes, studied the guards' movements for a few minutes, then devised a plan.

He kept to the left of the grassy field in front of the castle, slinking along the ground so as not to attract the attention of the soldiers in the distance. Eventually, he approached a tall tree with many branches. Link knew he would never make it past the herd of guards standing in front of the castle's doors, so he decided to form a distraction. As quietly as he could, Link climbed the tree until he was well hidden by its many leaves. He plucked a few deku nuts from the branch above him, keeping one in his left palm and stashing the rest in his leather pouch. He looked down at the guards below him, quickly visualizing how he was going to execute his plan before he did. He aimed for what he approximated to be the center of the group of guards, and threw the deku nut to the ground.

The explosion was small but bright - and loud. Just as Link knew they would, all the guards in the vicinity immediately abandoned their posts and hurried to investigate the strange sound. Not wanting to miss his chance, Link quickly jumped out of the tree and made a break for the castle as soon as he hit the ground. Link dashed to the front doors, carefully avoiding the mass of soldiers that had now crowded around the deku nut. Although he respected them greatly, Link had always thought that Zelda's guards were kind of stupid.

 _Zelda._

Every time Link thought of her, his mind glitched. Whatever other thoughts filled his head at the moment stumbled over the image of Hyrule's young princess. He kept thinking of her as he reached the doors to the castle, pushing them open and not bothering to turn around and check if any of the guards noticed him. Link thought of Zelda and her blonde hair twirling and spilling over her shoulders as she spun around to see him for the first time in so long. He thought of her blue eyes lighting up as she gasped, freezing in place in front of him. Link imagined Zelda running up to him, throwing her arms around his neck as she finally saw him, her long lost friend. These thoughts caused his heart to hammer in his chest as he realized how _excited_ he was to see her, his Zelda.

 _His_ Zelda.

His Zelda, who trusted him with her life when they were small children. His Zelda, who disguised herself as Sheik and did everything in her power to help him defeat Ganon. His Zelda, who cared so much for him that she sent him back in time to relive his childhood, separating them forever - even though she was crying while doing it.

Link thought that maybe, just maybe, Zelda might be just as excited to see him as he was to see her. Zelda was the only person who even remotely understood what Link had been through. She, too, had risked her life and faced certain danger to save her friends and her kingdom.

In that moment, Link knew why he was there. He knew why he agreed to come back to this time, and why this was the first place he ran to. He wanted - _needed_ \- to see Zelda. He needed to be with her, talk to her, hold her if he could. He didn't care that she was the Princess, and he didn't care that in this time, she hadn't seen him in over a year. He just needed _her._

Link was so lost in thought that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings as he was jogging through the castle, and nearly crashed into someone as he rounded a corner. He caught himself just in time, his boots making a slight skidding noise against the floor as he threw an arm up in front of him. The person he almost ran into, a girl, let out a small shriek as she jumped away to avoid the collision. Link steadied himself and looked up, about to apologize to the woman, when he realized who he was looking at.

His breath caught in his throat as soon as her saw her. She was wearing a purple dress with long sleeves that fell slightly off the shoulder, and a glittering crown that rested atop her head. Her long blonde hair was down, hanging loosely around her shoulders. As soon as she gathered her bearings and turned her attention to the young man standing before her, her entire body froze. Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open. The apples of her cheeks reddened.

She looked even more beautiful than Link remembered.

After a second of silence, Princess Zelda seemed to regain control of her voice.

" _LINK?!"_ she shouted, clutching her hand to her chest as she stared at him with wild eyes. She was breathing heavily. She stared at him, and he couldn't think of anything to say in response. He had envisioned this moment many times, but never believed that it could actually happen. Now that he was here, in the castle with the princess, he stood in silence. Dumbstruck, Link wondered if this was all just a dream.

"Oh goddesses, is that really you?" Zelda asked in a broken whisper, shaking her head in disbelief. She swallowed and looked at the ground beneath her feet. Zelda shook her head once more and then looked up. She took a few cautious steps towards him. Link smiled at the princess and nodded.

"Yes," he said.

Zelda lifted her hand to his cheek, delicately brushing her gloved fingertips against his skin. She studied his face, searching his eyes for answers to the questions that burned her tongue.

"I-I don't...how did you… when did.… Link, I-" she cut herself off, tears welling in her eyes as she suddenly became choked up.

"Sshhh, Zelda, it's okay," Link said soothingly, wiping away the tears that spilled down her cheeks with his thumb.

"To be honest, I don't really know how I got here…I mean, I'm still trying to understand it myself. I promise I'll explain it to you once I know for sure," he said, laughing lightly. Zelda was really crying now. The hand that was caressing Link's cheek had gone limp and was now resting on his right shoulder.

"Princess, please don't cry," he whispered to her, holding her face in his palms. She sniffled, meeting his gaze and as more tears poured down her face. Link couldn't help but pull her into his arms. She buried her head into his shoulder as he cradled her body.

"I'm here now, and everything is okay. Everything is going to be just fine," he said softly into her ear. She was quiet for a minute, remaining in his arms with her face pressed into his green tunic. Link tightened his arms around her waist in an attempt to transfer all his affection for her through the hug. Not moving her head from Link's shoulder, Zelda mumbled, "You came back."

Link exhaled a sigh of relief. This was ten times better than it was in his imagination. Zelda was here, in his arms, letting him hold her. He was back home in Hyrule for good.

"Yes," he told her, rubbing his hands in circles on her back. "And I'm not leaving you this time."

Zelda became stiff in his arms. Link noticed the shift in her demeanor, and pulled away slightly to ask what was wrong. Zelda looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Link…there's something that I have to tell -"

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" a deep voice boomed from the end of the hallway. Still holding Zelda's arms, Link looked behind her and saw a man running towards them, armed with a sword. Link instantly let go of Zelda and pushed her behind him. Realizing that he had no sword, no shield, and no weapons in his pouch, Link raised his fists. He would fight this man with his bare hands if he had to.

"Ellis, wait!" Zelda shouted, shoving past Link's arm to stand in front of him. Upon seeing Zelda's outstretched hand, the man slowed down and ceased his charge on Link. He continued jogging towards the pair, but made no move to sheath his weapon. Link remained in a defensive stance as he watched Zelda approach the man, who Link now had a clearer view of. He appeared to be around the same age as Link and Zelda were, maybe a little older. He had dark hair, and tan skin, and wore thick, ornately decorated clothing. He was sported a dark red, velvet cape and tall black boots. Judging by his appearance, Link guessed that this man was some form of royalty.

"Princess Zelda, who is this intruder?" the man asked, pointing his sword at Link. "Has he hurt you?"

"No, Ellis, please," Zelda said in an exasperated voice, urging the dark-haired man to lower his sword with her hand. Once the man, Ellis, seemed to be calm enough to listen, Zelda turned to face Link, her hand still resting on top of Ellis's.

"Prince Ellis, this is Link, the Hero of Time," she said, gesturing to Link, who was still standing motionless in a fighting stance.

Prince Ellis gave Link a once-over, taking in his green clothing and stony expression. Although Link had no idea who this man was, Ellis seemed to understand what Link's title meant.

"I thought he left. Forever," Ellis said, still staring at Link.

"Well I came back. For good," Link said flatly. Zelda stood in between the two men, looking back and forth between them. Link was't much of a talker, and he certainly wasn't going to make idle conversation with a man who had just tried to attack him. An awkward silence filled the room until Ellis finally cleared his throat.

"Well, _Hero of Time_ ," he said, in the most condescending tone Link had ever heard, "if you're back for good, I guess we should be formally introduced." Link nodded, reluctantly lowering his fists and gradually relaxing himself into a less aggressive stance. He nodded at the young prince.

"I am Link," he said, shaking Ellis's outstretched hand. The prince had a firm handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Link," he said in a loud, confident voice. Ellis looked to Zelda, as if suddenly remembering that she was there, and pulled her towards him by her waist. He wrapped an arm around her and held her, similar to the way Link had held her mere moments ago.

"I am Ellis, Prince of Kanalet Kingdom," he declared. He looked down at Zelda, but her eyes were locked with Link's. Ellis wrapped his other arm around Zelda's small frame and lifted his gaze so that he was also looking at Link.

"I'm Princess Zelda's fiancé."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter is a little longer than the previous two, and I'm sorry that it's a little slow. Again, more necessary background information to set the plot before we really get the story going. I promise there will be zelink, but it will be a little bit of a slow burn. Are you guys enjoying the story so far? Please let me know! Thanks a million.

* * *

 _Dammit,_ Link thought to himself as he turned around for what had to have been the fifth time in the last hour. This time, he could have sworn he knew where he was going. But to his dismay, standing there before him was same tree he had walked past four times now. It had a cut in the bark that looked like a backwards C. It was the only landmark he had to go by, and it had been screwing him over all night. He sighed, roughly kicking a rock to the side as he decided on a new direction and hoped for the best.

After literally running into Princess Zelda - and her fiancé - Link didn't stick around in the castle much longer. Zelda offered him a room in the castle, but Link declined. He made up a lame excuse about needing to take care of something and left. He took Epona and travelled to the furthest ends of the kingdom, reaching the forest he originated from. Feeling a mixture of sadness, anger, and confusion, Link thought that he should probably get out of Hyrule. He had no reason to be here, and even if he did choose to stay, he no idea what he would do for the rest of his life. Zelda had _Ellis,_ so she obviously didn't need Link anymore. Ganondorf was gone, so Hyrule didn't didn't need him either. Link didn't have a place to live, and he wasn't too keen on the idea of staying in the castle with Zelda and her new boyfriend. He hadn't even been able to accomplish the goal that got him into this mess in the first place - finding Navi. Despite all he had been through in Termina, he still had no idea where his former companion was. All Link knew was that if he was going to find her, she wouldn't be in this timeline. Although he felt defeated on the inside, Link supposed it was better to continue his search for Navi than to sit around and do nothing, wasting the remainder of his life away.

 _That's what I'll do, then,_ Link decided. Now, he only needed a way to leave.

Left with no other options, Link decided to seek out the only person he knew who would be able to send him to another world.

Link wasn't exactly sure how he ended up in Termina in the first place. All he remembered was one minute he was being dragged through the Lost Woods, trying to save both Epona and his ocarina from the Skull Kid, and the next minute he was falling down a bottomless hole that led to the parallel world he ultimately saved. Link knew how to make his way through the Lost Woods - growing up in Kokiri Forest made sure of that. But now, as he wandered helplessly around the Woods, he truly felt hopeless. For the first time in his life, Link worried about whether the legends surrounding the Woods were true, and if he would succumb to its curse. He imagined a life in which he turned into a stalchild, wandering aimlessly amongst the trees, never to be with his fellow Hylians again.

In a lot of ways, Link felt that he had already fallen victim to that curse.

Link groaned and rubbed his hands to his temples in frustration.

 _Fuck it,_ he thought, whirling around on his foot and heading towards a hole that he knew would take him back to the maze's entrance. Epona would be outside waiting for him - Link let her stay there after he noticed she was getting a bit tired. He had rode her across Hyrule and back within the course of a day, so she deserved some rest. As the thought crossed his mind, Link decided that he, too, needed rest. He could continue his search for Termina tomorrow.

Kokiri Forest was quiet apart from the soft sounds of the animals and insects that made their homes in the trees. It was quite late, and all the children were asleep. Link approached Epona and stood next to her, taking a moment to just be there, in his childhood home. He looked over his shoulder, to the treehouse that had been his actual childhood home. He stared at it for a minute, debating whether or not he should go in. Surely someone else lived there now. It had been eight years now.

 _Although,_ Link recalled, _the house was vacant the last time I was here._

Deciding to take the risk, Link headed towards his old treehouse. He climbed up the ladder, pausing once he reached to the top to peek inside. It was dark inside, and Link listened for the sound of breathing. After hearing nothing, he used the floor of the room as leverage and pulled the rest of his body up into the small room.

Everything was exactly as Link remembered. His bed, his small collection of items, even his records, which were hanging on the wall. He smiled to himself as he looked over the piece of paper, remembering the days he spent fishing and riding Epona with Malon at the ranch. Thinking of Malon spurred Link to realize that the cow she gifted him with upon beating her horse-racing record was missing. Link was glad for that, doubting that a cow could survive on its own in a treehouse for over a year.

Link yawned, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. He sat on the edge of the bed that was much too small for his tall frame and kicked off his boots. He laid down, curling his legs in towards his chest so that he could fit his entire body on the mattress. He was sure that he would have been provided much more comfortable sleeping arrangements had he agreed to stay in the castle.

But Link was not a high-maintenance person. His old home was just fine. Besides, he wasn't expecting to stay here for more than one night. After a few minutes of restlessness and confusing thoughts, Link finally found sleep.

* * *

Link awoke to same sound he woke up to the last time he was asleep: Epona's anguished cries of concern. Link made an incoherent sound and rubbed his eyes with his fists. Epona did not quiet down as he sat up and ran his fingers through his messy hair. Link loved Epona, but she really needed to learn to calm down.

"Hang on, girl, I'm coming down in a second," Link shouted to her, tugging his brown leather boots back onto his feet. He pushed himself up and walked to the entrance of his small treehouse. Before he could make the descent down the ladder, Link noticed a woman standing next to Epona, who was still frantically trying to get Link's attention. Surprised, Link hurried down the ladder to greet her.

"Impa," Link said, stopping in front of the tall woman. Her silver hair was pulled back into its usual style, and she wore the her traditional Sheikah clothing. To be honest, Impa looked exactly the same as she did a year ago.

"So what the princess says is true," Impa said, her red eyes boring into Link's face.

"The Hero of Time has returned."

"Yeah…about that," Link said sheepishly, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"I'm actually just…passing through. I'm trying to find Navi, the fairy who accompanied on my journey as the Hero of Time. I'm leaving today to continue my search for her."

A half smile formed on Impa's face. For some reason, Link got the impression that Impa did not believe him.

"Sheikah legends tell of many worlds - worlds separated from Hyrule by more than just physical boundaries. Tales of these places have been passed down through generations of my people, but no one currently living has ever actually been able to reach them. I don't know what you've been doing or where you've been, Link, but I think you've done more than just look for Navi in the past year."

Link looked at Impa nervously, realizing that lying to her would be no use. He sighed in defeat, giving into her intense stare that was clearly waiting for answers.

He told her about the Termina, Majora's Mask, and the Happy Mask Salesman who sent him back to Hyrule. Impa said nothing throughout Link's story, which happened to constitute the longest period of time Link had spent talking in quite some time. Once he explained how he got back to Hyrule, Link told Impa of how he went to the castle to see the princess. But instead of telling of her of his encounter with Zelda and Prince Ellis, Link simply told Impa that he had a change of heart once he arrived to the castle. He told her that he wanted to go back to his childhood after all, and continue looking for Navi there. For some reason, Link was too embarrassed to tell Impa what really happened. He worried that she would realize his feelings for the princess.

Once again, Impa seemed to see right through Link's careful reconstruction of the story of last night's events.

"Link, you courageously risked your life on countless occasions to save this kingdom. If it weren't for you, not only would I still be trapped inside the Shadow Temple, but Hyrule would still remain under Ganondorf's control. I am forever indebted to you.

"Therefore, regardless of which path you choose to follow, I will respect your decision. However, there is something I would like to show you first. I hope you will indulge me in this request before you depart Hyrule for good."

Impa's face remained expressionless, her demeanor giving away no hints as to what she was thinking or feeling. Link considered Impa's question, and thought about what else she said as well. He wondered what she meant by 'choosing a path to follow.' He didn't think he had any other paths to choose from at this point.

"Okay," Link said, nodding his head. "What do you want to show me?"

Impa smiled jerking her head towards the Forest's exit.

"It's in the castle. Why don't you leave Epona here to rest? She seems pretty tired. I can transport you there with me."

Link nodded, petting Epona and assuring her of his return before he walked towards Impa. The Sheikah woman took Link's hand in hers and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, paused, and then suddenly threw a deku nut to the ground. It made its usual explosion and loud crack, but this time Link was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. Everywhere he looked he saw white, and he felt himself speeding through the air, as if he were riding Epona at 300 miles per hour.

And then, after only a second, it was over. Link and Impa materialized in the middle of a room that Link assumed was somewhere in Hyrule Castle. Link realized that Impa must have teleported them there using Sheikah magic. Link had never traveled via that particular method before, but had witnessed both Impa and Princess Zelda, when she was disguised as Sheik, use it.

The room they appeared in had cream colored walls and red carpet on the floor. Bookshelves lined the walls, and there was a large brown chest against the wall, underneath the large window. Impa walked straight towards the chest without any preamble, and stood beside it. She faced Link and gestured towards the chest.

"Go ahead, open it," she said.

Link walked towards the chest and knelt down. He flipped open the lock with his fingers, and lifted up the chest's heavy lid. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw what was inside. There, sitting in this treasure chest, were all of the items Link obtained during his journey as the Hero of Time. His bow, his longshot, his gold gauntlets, his bomb bag - everything. Even the items he used as a child - the boomerang and the slingshot - were there. Link sat there and stared into the chest, overwhelmed with the hundreds of memories these items brought forth.

"Time travel is a strange thing," Impa said from above Link's head.

"In some cases, it can be a good thing, used to undo mistakes and prevent tragedies from happening. You made time your ally, and used it to your advantage to save the lives of many people. But there are some things that even time itself has no power over. Some things cannot be undone with an instrument as special as your ocarina. Thoughts and emotions, for example, will travel with you through different worlds and different dimensions.

"When the princess sent you back to your childhood for good, most of your items did not carry with you," Impa said, sitting down next to Link in a crossed-legged position.

"I do not understand myself why some things will travel through time with you, and others will not. It is a supernatural concept that I don't think any person will ever completely understand.

"But I do know one thing, Link, and it's that you came back for a reason. Only you truly know what that reason is, but I think you should take some time to think about what's truly important to you. I don't know much about who this Mask Salesman is, or how he came to possess that kind of power, but you should understand that travelling to different timelines will not always be so simple. Even if you are able to find this man again, and you return to Termina, or the Hyrule of the past, you may not be able to come back."

A thick silence filled the air as Link pondered Impa's words. She was right, of course. Link was treating this decision as if it were something that could be easily reversed if he changed his mind. Link sighed, pulling his knees in towards his chest.

"Impa, there's something I have to tell you," Link said, his face turning bright red as he looked at the ground.

"There is a reason I went to the castle as soon as I got here….and why I changed my mind so quickly after being there. When I ran into Zelda, I didn't just see her…. She was with her… her…Ellis," he finished weakly.

"I mean, Zelda is the princess, and she is my friend, and I know that I shouldn't even care that she is en-engaged to someone, but… well, you know, I just want to make sure that she's taken care of, and happy and-"

"-Link," Impa said, cutting him off.

"You don't need to strain yourself. I know."

Link felt embarrassed. He buried his face in his knees. Impa chuckled at the sight of the tall boy in green being unable to talk about the princess without stammering and sweating.

"Who even is Ellis, Impa? And why is Zelda engaged to him? She's only 17… and she can't have known him for very long. Not that I care or anything, I mean, she deserves to be married to a prince. She's the princess. I just want to know why she's going to marry him."

"Well, once Ganondorf was defeated, the throne was rightfully returned to Princess Zelda. The Royal Council, which advises Hyrule's reigning monarch on all important issues, reassembled. Although Princess Zelda is the heir to the throne, and the country's acting monarch, she is still just a Council thought that a 16 year old girl who had been living in hiding for the past seven years might have some trouble transitioning into the role of reigning monarch of the nation. She doesn't have her father to guide her anymore, Link," Impa said, a serious expression highlighting her features.

"So, in an attempt to ensure that Princess Zelda would be able to handle her duties, the Royal Council decided to arrange a marriage for the young princess. They selected an eligible bachelor from one of our neighboring kingdoms, and planned a wedding that's set to take place once the princess becomes of age. That way, once she turns 18 and officially takes the throne, she won't be doing so alone."

Link hated to admit it, but the logic made sense. After all Zelda had been through, he didn't think she should have to rule the kingdom, especially a kingdom in the process of being rebuilt, by herself. Before Link could say anything, Impa changed the subject.

"Now, Link, Hyrule actually is facing a bit of a problem right now. There's been an unusually large influx of monsters, specifically around the Lake Hylia region. The army has been doing a decent job of fending them off for now, but the Council is worried. If this problem persists, the monsters could potentially do damage to the lake's water levels. I don't know how likely this scenario is, but everyone is on edge after seeing how badly the lake was dried up last year."

Impa paused, thinking of how she should phrase her next question.

"The Hyrulean Army's general is retiring soon, and with the fragile state the kingdom is in at the moment, we really need someone to take his place. Now, I know it's not the usual amount of action and adventure you're used to, but you'd still be able to use your weapons and ultimately help the people of Hyrule. I don't know what you're planning on doing if you're unable to find Navi, but I think you'd be really great in this position, Link."

"You want me to be…General of the Army?" Link asked.

"I've never even served as a soldier."

Impa laughed.

"If you're worried that you're not qualified enough, you can relax, Link. You've fought in battles more dangerous than anything these soldiers could even imagine."

Link sighed.

"I don't know, Impa. I mean, I'm honored, but I don't know if this would be the right decision for me. I don't know if I'm cut out to live the life of a soldier."

"I understand your hesitance, Link. How about you just agree to a trial period, then? You stay here for a month, training with the current general. See what it's like to work with the Army. See what it's like to live in Hyrule again. If you don't like it, at the end of the month, you can leave."

Link thought about it, and couldn't find any reasonable objections to Impa's proposal. He still doubted that he was going to stick around in this world much longer, though. There was no place for him here anymore. But, he could use this time to think about what his next steps were going to be.

"Deal," Link said. Impa beamed at him.

"Excellent. Why don't you put your items back in your pouch? I'm sure you'll be able to make use of them in your new job."

Link did as Impa suggested, packing up his old weapons in the pouch that rested on his hip. Impa stood up and walked towards the door.

"When you're done with that, you can head down the hall to the last door on the right. I think your commander will be very pleased to hear that you've agreed to take on this position."

"Really? Who's my commander?" Link asked, wondering how anyone in the Hyrulean Army even knew who he was.

Impa grinned.

"Come on, now, Link. I thought you understood how military ranks worked," she said, turning the handle on the door and pushing it open.

"The Commander in Chief is Princess Zelda, of course.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: For those of you asking when Ellis will die, I'm not sure if he will yet, lmao. I know he's a textbook jerk, but it's fun to write him that way. We all know a fuckboy (or girl) in our lives that we can compare him to. Anyways, if you're enjoying the story, please leave a review and let me know! Or if you're not, that's okay too, I still want your input. Enjoy this little zelinky tease.

* * *

The halls of Hyrule Castle were airy and open. The walls were painted white, and large windows that ran from the ceiling all the way down to the floor lined the corridor Link was currently walking through. For a building that was still undergoing major construction, the interior of the castle was already quite beautiful.

Link reached the end of the hall and faced the large double doors that were on his right. Two guards were stationed on either side of the entryway.

"Do you have some business with the princess?" The guard on the right questioned.

"Yes," Link said. "I was sent here by Impa." The guard nodded.

"The princess is expecting you, Sir Link," the soldier said, turning slightly to knock on the door.

"Your Highness, Sir Link is here to see you," he said loudly to the closed door in front of him. Zelda's voice echoed through from the other side.

"He may enter!" Her voice was light, but commanding nonetheless. Both guards took hold of the door's handles, and opened the path to Princess Zelda's study. Link thanked the soldiers and proceeded through the doorway.

Zelda's study was larger than the room Link had previously been in with Impa. It had far more bookcases, along with cabinets, chairs, and other furniture against the walls. In the back of the room was Zelda's desk, where she was currently sitting, looking over some papers. She looked up when she heard Link's footsteps approaching.

She stood up quickly, nearly jumping out of her chair.

"Link!" she shouted, running out from behind her desk towards him. She looked happy to see him.

"Your Highness," Link said respectfully, bowing his head. Zelda frowned.

"Link, please. There are no need for such formalities here. You are my dear friend."

"I'm sorry, Princess," Link said. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to get mad at you if you don't only refer to me as _Zelda_ from now on," she warned, but Link could see the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Sit down!" she said, animatedly gesturing to the sofa on the other side of the room.

"You left so quickly yesterday that we didn't get a chance to catch up," she said, plopping onto the couch and patting the empty spot next to her. Link sat down beside her and thought about how he should explain himself.

"Yes, well, I had left, uh, Epona, uh by herself and I didn't want her to, you know, get lost," Link managed to come up with.

"Well don't worry about that!" Zelda quipped. "From now on she can stay in the stables with the other horses. She'll be well taken care of there." she assured him. She smiled at Link and reached out to squeeze his hand.

"I'm so glad you're back, Link," she said earnestly, looking into his eyes. Link didn't respond, and shifted his gaze away from hers. He cleared his throat.

"I told Impa that I'd work with the Army's general for a month, shadowing him. After that, I'm leaving." he said flatly.

Zelda's happy disposition all but vanished. Her face looked pained. Link hated himself for making her look so sad, but he knew that this was his fate now.

"Leaving? But you just got here," she said sadly. She turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Last night you said that you'd never leave again."

Her words stung as he was reminded of the promise he made her no more than twelve hours ago. Was he really the type of person to go back on his word? Especially when Princess Zelda was involved? Link sighed.

"Zelda… I'm not sure why I came here. Ever since you sent me back in time, I've felt out of place. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life since there were no more bad guys to chase. I was just living my life as best as I could, trying to take one day at a time. Believe it or not, you and I were actually friends in that timeline…It's so weird to think about."

Zelda was looking at him now, though she still looked hurt.

"As soon as I arrived in the Temple of Time, Navi left. I was alone. The first thing I did was go straight to the castle - straight to you. I told you everything that happened - the spiritual stones, Ganondorf, the sages, everything - and you believed me. Together, we told your father and prevented all this from happening.

"For a while, everything was great. You and I remained friends. I used to sneak past the castle guards a few times a week to visit you in the courtyard. I would find different flowers, insects, and fish from around the kingdom and bring them to you. And you would teach me about Hyrule's history, telling me all sorts of legends and stories you learned in your princess classes. It was nice."

Zelda was astounded.

"This is all so…surreal," she said, shaking her head.

"To think of my other self…out there, somewhere….she was friends with you. She was best friends with you. I feel connected to her, in some way. I feel as if I've known you my whole life, Link," she said, looking at him with a melancholic expression. Nostalgia swept over Link as he thought of the memory of his other Zelda, the one who came to him in a dream and taught him the Song of Time when he was in Termina.

"But you do know me, Zelda. In this world, and the other. You may have been disguised as Sheik, but you were still you. We may not have spent much time together, but we'll always be connected by our experiences."

Link could see Zelda searching his face, but he wasn't sure what she was trying to find.

"Then why are you leaving, Link?" she said helplessly, dejectedly.

"Why are you leaving again?"

"Because, Zelda, I made a mistake in coming here," Link said.

"There was a reason you sent me back in time. Hyrule doesn't need me anymore. The kingdom is back in the hands of its rightful ruler. And I am not a Kokiri, or even a child anymore, so I cannot return to the Forest. And you…well, you are engaged, Princess. Whether we like it or not, our friendship will not be the same once you are married."

"Is that what you want, Link? For us to have a friendship?" Zelda asked.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Zelda," Link said.

"This is my fate. I made a mistake, and I should have just stayed where I was. But I messed things up, and now I have to fix them. But I am staying for a month, because I made a promise to Impa."

Zelda frowned. Suddenly, she stood up from the couch.

"Yes, and you also made a promise to me, Link." She walked away from him, back towards her desk. When she turned to face him, Link felt as if he were talking to a different person. Her friendly demeanor was gone, replaced by an angry frown. She straightened her back into a rigid posture, exuding poise and professionalism.

"The general oversees the entire army. As a result, he works very closely with me. Tomorrow, you'll be officially oriented on everything. Report back here at 7am."

She paused.

"Or don't. I guess it doesn't matter, since you're leaving in a month anyways. I don't care what you do," she said coldly, sitting down at her desk.

"Impa will show you to your room. You are dismissed."

* * *

Link stared at the ceiling of Impa's study, lying flat on his back on the ground. The concrete floors were cold, even through the fabric of his shirt. He covered his face with his hands and groaned.

"Zelda hates me, Impa," he whined. Impa, who was sitting in a large blue armchair on the other side of the room, said nothing. She was reading a book and only partially paying attention to Link.

"The princess does not hate you, Link. Actually, the way she feels about you is quite the contrary."

Link ignored her and rolled over onto his stomach.

"I messed everything up. I'm such an idiot."

Impa sighed and put her book down, realizing that she wasn't going to get much reading done with a lovesick teenager lying on her floor. She took pity on the lanky young man, since at this moment, he looked like he wanted to die.

"You know, Link, Princess Zelda was quite upset when she sent you back to the past one year ago."

Link peeked at Impa through his fingers, which were still covering his face.

"She was quiet and reserved around everyone during the kingdom's initial phases of reconstruction," Impa said calmly.

"This was unusual for her. At first, I thought she was still recovering from the events of the past seven years. Going through what Princess Zelda went through, especially at that age, it takes a toll on a person. But then she started resuming her normal princess activities, meeting with the Royal Council as well as citizens of Hyrule. And I noticed that no matter how many people surrounded her, Princess Zelda always seemed lonely."

Link was sitting up now, listening to Impa attentively.

"During Council meetings, Ganondorf's reign was a popular topic. The Council members wanted to address everything that happened, to ensure that something so catastrophic never occurred again. Naturally, when talking about the battles that were fought and won, your name came up. Whenever the Hero of Time was mentioned, the princess politely excused herself and left the meeting early. Nearly every time. Hearing about you made her sad, Link. I think the princess - your friend - has missed you greatly."

Link played with a loose fray on the sleeve of his shirt, trying not to get excited at the thought of Zelda missing him.

"I usually refrain from getting involved in people's personal lives, Link. But I care deeply for Princess Zelda. It's my job to protect her. And I think you should know that you mean more to her than you realize."

Link blushed, feeling a wave of happiness roll over him with Impa's words. Feeling rejuvenated, he leapt to his feet.

"Thank you, Impa," he said, a wide smile spreading across his face. He ran out of the room and straight to the castle's nearest exit.

* * *

Later that evening, Link once again stood outside Zelda's door. The guards informed the princess of Link's presence, then opened the doors for him once he was granted permission to enter. Link took once last deep breath and stepped through the threshold.

Zelda didn't look up from whatever she was doing when he entered.

"What do you want, Link?" she said in a monotonous voice. Link cleared his throat, prompting her to look up. When she finally gazed upon the man standing before her, her anger began to diminish.

Link stood in the center of the room, holding a small bundle of flowers. He had spent the afternoon scavenging through the castle's gardens, picking the nicest flowers he could find. Now, he held the small bouquet out towards the princess, prompting her to take it from his hand. He mentally prepared his speech out beforehand, not wanting to look like an idiot in front of Zelda twice in one day. But he could feel his face and neck reddening with heat, and when he spoke, his voice was not nearly as confident and assured as he planned it to be.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Zelda. Princess Zelda," he said nervously, still holding the flowers out in front of him.

"I was horribly mean to you earlier today. I went back on my word, then acted like it was nothing. You deserve better, and I hope that you can forgive me."

Zelda smiled and stood up. She walked around her desk and met Link in the center of the room. She took the flowers from his outstretched hand and looked up at him. He wasn't extremely tall, but he was tall enough that Zelda still had to crane her neck a little to look him in the eyes.

"Link, I'm sorry, too. The way I behaved earlier was brash and undignified. It was completely unprofessional for a princess to treat the general-in-training that way. I hope you can forgive me, too."

Link smiled weakly down at Zelda. She looked so sad, yet still so lovely. He wondered if he'd ever get to see her carefree and happy again, like she was when they were children.

"I was never mad at you, so there's nothing to forgive. But Zelda, please don't ever worry about being _unprofessional_ with me." Link looked off to the side, too embarrassed to look at Zelda right now.

"Look, I…I know you're going to get married when you turn 18. And to tell you the truth, I still don't really know what I'm going to do with my life. I may stay here longer than a month, but that doesn't mean I won't ever leave. But no matter what happens, I care about you, and you're my friend."

Link thought about putting his hand on her arm, or wrapping himself around her waist. He decided against both of those things. Instead, he settled for just looking at her.

"So, Princess Zelda, will you…be my friend?" he asked sheepishly. Zelda smiled, twirling the stem of one of the flowers between her thumb and index finger.

"Yes, Link, I would love to be your friend." The pair remained there for a moment, smiling and relishing in the fact that their "fight" was over.

"Your Highness, there you are!" shouted a lively voice from behind Link. He turned around to see Prince Ellis, clad in yet another velvet cape - this time it was navy blue - and a bunch of other ridiculous fancy clothes.

"Your guards said you were in the middle of something important and that you weren't to be disturbed. So I did what any good fiancé would do, and told them that one of your handmaidens had died and that I had to inform you right away so that they'd let me in," he said with a cocky smirk on his face and his hands on his hips. It was only then that he seemed to notice that Link was in the room.

"Oh, hey _hero,_ " he said, coming to stand next to Zelda and giving Link a once-over.

"I see you've been catching up with my betrothed. Again. It seems you guys have a lot to talk about. I mean come on, why would you want to spend so much time listening to her?" he asked, loosely draping an arm over Zelda's shoulder. She cringed subtly.

"Ellis, you shouldn't lie to my guards. _Especially_ about someone dying," she chastised him.

"Whatever, my princess. It doesn't matter because now I can have some alone time with _you,_ " he said leaning in towards her ear. Zelda was now visibly cringing.

"Ellis, please. Link and I were actually discussing important business. Starting tomorrow he's going to be training with the current general of the army." Ellis's eyes widened at this new piece of information.

"Well, isn't that something! You know, as future King of Hyrule, I'll one day be Commander in Chief of the army? So I'll be your boss, hero!"

Link narrowed his eyes at Ellis, his patience slowing slipping from his grasp.

"Yes, Ellis, well for now, Zelda is the reigning monarch of the land, and she is Commander in Chief. She is my boss," Link said, winking playfully at Zelda. She smiled and giggled quietly. Ellis became annoyed with Link very quickly after that.

"Hey, buddy, you shouldn't speak so informally to the princess, or to myself. We are royalty, and you're just a commoner. Her full title is _Princess Zelda_ and my full title is _Prince Ellis_ ," he said angrily.

"ELLIS!" Zelda exclaimed, finally having enough of his behavior.

"Link is a hero, and he saved us all. If it weren't for him, the kingdom would have been destroyed and I wouldn't be here right now. You will pay him the respect he deserves and hold him in esteem as high as you would any noble. You may be in line to be the King but I am still the heir to the throne of Hyrule!" she shouted.

Link stood in silence, somewhat shocked. He was not expecting Zelda to blow up like that.

Ellis looked like he wanted to beat someone up. He shook his head.

"Princess Zelda, you're clearly very stressed. I guess your servants messed up the seating arrangements for our wedding reception or something. Whatever it is, I really don't want to deal with you when you're like this, so I'll just see you tomorrow."

He walked back through the door and with that, he was gone.

Zelda pressed her fingers to her forehead, her brow furrowing in frustration. Link couldn't take this anymore.

"Okay, Zelda, I know about how the Council wants you to have a husband and all, but that guy? Really?"

Zelda sighed and shook her head.

"I know how it must look. He is quite rude and selfish sometimes. And the scary part is, he wasn't even the worst one." She walked over to the couch they had been sitting on earlier that morning and sunk into it, throwing her head back and closing her eyes.

"The Council introduced me to three different suitors. They told me that I could choose to marry whichever one I wanted, but that I had to choose one. The first one was about 50 years older than me and had trouble hearing me speak at a normal volume. The second one was quite chaotic, always talking about how he wanted to do away with Hyrule's monarchy entirely, leaving the people to survive on their own 'as they were always intended to by the gods'" she said, shaking her head at the frightening memories of her suitors past.

Link remained standing in the middle of the room, staring out the window as he listened to Zelda speak.

"And then there was Ellis…He wasn't all that bad when I first met him. He was a little full of himself, sure, but I thought he was just trying to seem confident. I think this whole 'future King of Hyrule' idea has really gotten to his head. He's not ideal, but he's the best of the worst."

Link looked at her.

"So why did you agree to marry him, if you didn't love him?" Link asked. Zelda sighed.

"Because I _have_ to get married when I turn 18. It's what the Council agreed upon. There's no getting out of this even if I tried," she said quietly.

"If I remember correctly," Link said, "you don't turn 18 for another ten months."

"Yes," Zelda said absent-mindedly, looking at her feet.

"So… why do you have to be engaged to Ellis?" he asked, trying to hide the sliver of hope from his voice.

"Why don't you wait for someone you'll actually be in love with?"

The princess scoffed.

"Yeah, the chances of that happening before I turn 18…" she trailed off, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter anyways. Even if I ask for three brand new suitors, it's not like I'll get to be with my first choice. It will always be the best of the worst."

Link was about to respond to her, then he paused.

"Wait, your first choice? Who was your first choice?" he asked.

Zelda froze, her face heating up.

"Uh, no one," she said. "Forget it. It's late, and I don't really want to talk about this anymore."

Link nodded, not wanting to make Zelda anymore upset than she already was tonight.

"I'll see you in the morning, then?" he said, trying to sound cheery.

"Yes, bright and early," Zelda said. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Good night, princess," Link said as he turned to leave. He heard her faintly whisper a good night back to him.

As Link lay in his new bed in the castle, he did feel more comfortable than he had the night before. He would sleep better knowing that Epona was being taken care of, too. He rolled to his side, willing himself to fall asleep so that he could wake up early tomorrow. Link had always had an issue with oversleeping, but he didn't want to be late tomorrow and disappoint his commander.

Eventually, Link drifted off into sleep, with thoughts of who Zelda's first choice could be floating through his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed and followed so far! I really appreciate your input, and when I have some extra time I'll try and respond to all your reviews individually. I'm excited because I think I've finally planned out where I want this story to go! On an unrelated note, I know that these chapters are pretty short compared to some other multi chapter fics. It's the only way I can update regularly, otherwise it would take me much longer to get a single chapter out. I hope that's okay!**

 **Enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I know nothing about swordplay/fencing so I'm really sorry if the dueling scene is factually inaccurate.**

* * *

The next day was hot. Very hot. It was barely past 9 am and the sun was already beating down on Link's back, the muggy heat pouring over him like a hot bath. He pulled on the collar of his undershirt, trying to let some air in between the thick fabric and his sweaty skin.

Link had been training with the army's retiring general, Alfonzo, and his soldiers for the past two hours. The general was a large man, very tall and very strong. He had a thick black beard and a thinning bald spot. To be honest, Link thought he didn't look the part of Hyrulean Army General at all.

When Link had arrived at the training grounds earlier that morning, he was surprised to find that the general did, in fact, know who he was. It seemed that unlike the rest of Hyrule's population, the troops seemed to know all about the Hero of Time.

It wasn't that the rest of Hyrule was unaware of what happened. They knew that a legendary hero traveled through time and stabbed Ganondorf with a special sword, saving the life of the princess. Or something like that. What they didn't know anything about was Link army, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit more well-informed. Being trained in the art of combat themselves, it was only natural that they were curios about the hero whose skills rivaled even their highest ranking officials. According to General Alfonzo, Princess Zelda was the source of all their Link-related information.

Now, Link was engaged in a swordfight with one of the army's captains, Viscen, in the center of the training grounds. The grounds were located on the west wing of the castle, towards the back. It was a large dirt field with plenty of room to practice, but secured off by fences to prevent any stray animals - or people - from entering during a training session.

Link grunted as the captain he was dueling struck his blade with his own, attempting to knock the sword from his arm. Link dislodged his sword from the hold, seamlessly turning to the side and knocking the man down with his elbow. He landed on his side, weapon clattering out of his hands on the ground. Link sheathed his weapon and held out a hand to help the young captain up.

"That was amazing," Viscen said, taking Link's outstretched hand and lifting himself up. He looked at Link in awe, not even bothered by the fact that his ass was just handed to him by someone on his first day of training. Link smiled at the compliment and wiped some of the sweat off his face.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself," he said, and he meant it. Viscen was good, and Link was happy to see that at least _some_ of Zelda's soldiers had talent.

"I still can't believe that you're here, training with us…it's such an honor," Viscen gushed.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, what made you decide to come work here?"

Link thought about how he should answer that as he reached for the hem of his tunic. The heat was becoming unbearable.

"I'm doing a favor for a friend," he said simply, pulling his shirt over his head. He wasn't educated on Hyrulean Army dress code and decorum, but he assumed that no one would mind. It was really hot outside. Besides, there were no women around, so he doubted that anyone could accuse him of being improper.

"Want to duel again? You could use some work on your defensive maneuvers," Link said to Viscen, pulling his sword out again. Viscen nodded eagerly, excited at the chance to once again train with the Hero of Time.

Link hated to admit it, but training with the soldiers here was the most at home he'd felt in a long time. He was good at this, and these guys respected him, liked him even. He spent the rest of the morning dueling with Viscen and the other captains, giving them tips and helping them improve their techniques. When they weren't engaged in combat, the soldiers told Link about daily life in Hyrule. The reconstruction process, the growth in the army since Ganondorf's defeat, and how things were slowly turning back to normal. They even spoke a little of the rumors they'd heard from behind the castle's walls, and what everyone thought of the princess's new fiancé.

"I heard he's a really amazing swordsman," said Jameson, another one of the captains.

Just then, General Alfonzo called for everyone's attention, silencing the gossiping captains around Link. He was grateful for that.

"Your Commander in Chief, Her Royal Highness Princess Zelda, has something she would like to say," he said, stepping to the side to reveal the princess. Zelda was so small, and Alfonzo was so large, that Link hadn't even noticed that she had been standing behind him. Zelda, too , looked like she was dressed for the summer weather. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless dress with thin straps. It came all the way to the ground, but looked like it was made out of a thin material. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, with two loose curls falling down on either side of her face. Even in scorching heat, she looked like a goddess.

Zelda stepped forward, greeting the crowd of soldiers before her.

"Good morning, everyone," she said politely.

As if on cue, every single one of the soldiers in the field bowed respectfully to their princess. Link, who was not so properly trained, was a little late to bow, ruining the synchronism of the movement. He felt even more out of place when he realized that he was still shirtless.

"At ease, soldiers," she said, motioning with her hand for the men to relax themselves.

"I am here this morning on official business as your Commander in Chief. As you know, we have been facing a security issue regarding the monsters surrounding the Lake Hylia region. If not taken care of, it is my belief that this infestation could possibly spread into the Zora's Domain."

She stopped for a moment, looking at the faces of the soldiers in front of her. They were perfectly still and completely silent, clinging to Zelda's every word. Link had the feeling that she had done something in the past to earn respect as their commander.

"Although the Royal Council has classified this as a minor issue for the time being, I do not take _any_ possible threat to Hyrule's safety lightly."

Link stared at Zelda as she spoke, hoping that she would notice him in the crowd. His eyes remained locked on her, but she didn't seem to see him. She was too focused on her speech. Link quietly shamed himself for caring more about whether or not Zelda was checking him out rather than listening to the words she was saying.

"It is for these reasons that starting today, I am going to be more involved in your weekly training routines," Princess Zelda continued.

"Get used to seeing a lot of me, gentlemen, because I am going to work with you until we exterminate this problem, and Lake Hylia is once again safe."

The soldiers began to applaud, clearly pleased with the princess's proclamation of involvement. Zelda smiled and bowed her head to the Army, then turned to the side and shook hands with General Alfonzo. Link clapped along with his fellow soldiers, then turned around to look for the captains he had been training with earlier. He saw Viscen standing a little ways away, talking to some of the newer recruits. Link had started to walk towards them when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Hey, you," Princess Zelda said, smiling up at him. She had reached him so quickly that Link thought she must have ran over from where she was standing.

"How's the first day on the job?" she asked sweetly.

"Pretty good," Link said honestly. "I think I'm getting along well with the guys," he said, shifting his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. He was starting to become self-conscious over the fact that he was talking to Princess Zelda while half naked and sweaty.

She didn't seem to notice, though.

"Well, I'm glad," she said, pushing one of her loose curls behind her ear. She looked at the ground, nudging her boot into the dirt.

"Actually, um, are you free tonight?" she asked, looking up at him.

Link's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes," he said immediately.

"Would you come by my study? There's something I wanted to discuss with you," she said nervously. She was rubbing her hands together obsessively. Clearly, whatever she wanted to talk about must hold some level of importance.

"Of course, Princess," he said nodding his head respectfully. Then, his expression turned to one of concern.

"But… is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, yes everything is fine," Zelda assured him. She gave him a smile again.

"We'll talk tonight, okay?"

"Okay, Zelda."

* * *

That night, Link had dinner with General Alfonzo and the captains of the Army. He had spent the rest of the day working closely with the general, spending less time training with the other soldiers and more time learning the specifics of the general's position. Link had watched Alfonzo direct his men, admiring his strength and confidence as a leader. He wasn't sure if he had the personality to command that many people. It required a lot of talking - and a lot of yelling.

As the army's officials ate their dinner, Alfonzo asked Link what he thought of the job so far.

"It's been a great first day," Link said as he chewed his food.

"I'm always happy to serve Hyrule in any way I can."

Alfonzo smiled and shook his head.

"Wow, you sound like the poster boy for Hyrule's Army. Princess Zelda must be swooning and drooling over you."

Link choked on the piece of meat he was eating. After coughing a few times, Viscen reached over and clapped him on the back until he could breathe again. Once Link regained his composure, he gulped down some water while gesturing that he was okay.

"Careful, kid, don't kill yourself," Alfonzo chortled.

"The princess would not be happy with me if I lost her new general on the first day."

Link laughed along with the general, trying to play off the embarrassing situation. Was he going to turn into a fumbling idiot every time Princess Zelda was mentioned? Probably.

"Actually, speaking of the Princess, she has requested to meet with me tonight, so I must excuse myself and get going," Link said, setting his fork down and standing up.

"The princess wants to meet with you?" Alfonzo asked.

"Why?"

"I don't know yet, she told me we'd discuss it when I saw her tonight," Link said, pushing his chair in as he prepared himself to leave. He strapped his adventure pouch around his waist and slung his sheathed sword around his back.

"Thanks again for today, General," Link said, giving Alfonzo and the captains a small wave of goodbye.

"See you tomorrow, kid."

* * *

When Link reached Zelda's door, he was once again greeted by two guards.

"You again?" said the guard on the left.

"Me again," Link said, casually shrugging his shoulders.

"The princess must really like you," the guard on the right teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Link blushed furiously.

"I've just begun training to be the Army's new general, actually," Link defended. If only his life were as simple as the guard on the right thought it was.

"The general!?" the guard on the left shouted.

"What's happened to General Alfonzo?" he yelled again, suddenly sounding worried.

"Nothing, nothing," Link reassured him.

"He's just going to be retiring soon, and the Princess wanted me to replace him when he does leave," Link explained.

"Hmm, why'd she pick you? And not one of the captains, or someone else who's been in the Army for a while?" the guard on the left asked, now sounding more interrogative than worried.

"It would take a while to explain," Link said. He was starting to grow tired of this conversation.

"Princess Zelda and I kind of go way back."

"So she does like you!" the guard on the right exclaimed, pointing a finger at Link's chest in satisfaction.

"No, it's not like- she and I are just - ugh! Can't I just go in already?" he said exasperatedly.

Both guards grinned, laughing at Link's frustration, but they opened the doors nonetheless. Link shook his head and walked past the two geniuses who were currently in charge of protecting Hyrule's only heir to the throne.

Princess Zelda was standing by the window in her study, facing away from Link. She was staring at the moon, and seemed deep in thought. Link cleared his throat to announce his presence. Zelda twirled around, startled.

"Oh, Link! You scared me," she said, throwing her hand to her chest. She was wearing a different outfit from the one she had been wearing that morning. This dress was a soft pink and it had short sleeves that fell off the shoulder. Her hair was also down now, hanging in loose, golden waves.

"Did you not hear the doors open, Princess?" Link asked, pointing back towards the large doors, which were now closed, with his thumb.

"I guess not," she said. "Forgive me, I was a little lost in thought for a minute."

"May I ask what you were thinking about?" Link asked hopefully. He had the feeling something had been bothering her lately, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Oh, so many different things," she said, running her fingers through her long hair.

"You know what, Link?" she said suddenly, as if a new thought had just manifested in her brain.

"I am tired of being in this study all the time. I think I need a break from it. Would you like to go for a walk with me?" she asked.

"Okay, sure," Link said turning around to head back out the door.

"No, not that way," Zelda said, running over to him to grab his arm and prevent him from laying a hand on the door's handle. Gently, she pulled him away from the door and back towards the window she had been gazing out of before. When she spoke, she kept her voice low.

"If the guards know I've left my study, they'll make someone accompany us, for my protection," she whispered.

"Ever since I've been back, they've taken security _very_ seriously," she said softly, rolling her eyes. She faced the window again and knelt down in front of the bottom. She started unlocking the window's hinges, one by one until she could finally slide it open. Link looked back towards the door hesitantly.

"Won't the guards notice you're gone?" he whispered to her. Zelda scoffed.

"Please, Link, those guards are idiots. They wouldn't notice if Ganondorf swooped in and kidnapped me again," she said. She meant it as a joke, but Link cringed inwardly at the thought of Ganondorf taking her again.

Without further ado, Zelda hopped out of the window and onto the concrete pathway that was just outside. They were on the first floor of the castle, so it wasn't like they needed to make a dangerous jump.

"Come on, please Link? I really do need to talk to you, but I also really want some fresh air…and it's so beautiful tonight," she said, spinning around and smiling up at the moon again. Zelda looked wonderful with the moonlight shining softly on her blonde hair and her pink dress. And best of all, she looked so happy. Link couldn't say no to her.

Without a second though, Link jumped over the edge of the window and landed next to the princess. He held his elbow out to her and she took it, holding his arm between both her hands.

"Let's go for a walk, Your Highness," Link said, looking down her. She laughed and began to lead them down the path on the side of the castle.

Link decided that he liked Hyrule Castle at night. It was quiet and empty, giving him a chance to actually enjoy its beauty without being bothered by nosy people. And the gardens looked nice in the moonlight, too. Link was happy that the night was clear, and that he could see the thousands of stars that littered the night sky. He felt some of Zelda's hair spill over his arm as she turned her head to look at an owl that had just flown by.

"This is nice," Zelda murmured. He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to herself. She then spoke up a little louder.

"It's so nice to be able to just walk around the castle grounds without any annoying guards following me. I haven't been able to do that, without sneaking around, since I was little," she said sadly.

In that moment, Link felt sorry for the princess. Even now, with kingdom back in her own hands, she still couldn't really return to the way things were before Ganondorf.

Zelda stopped walking once they reached a small courtyard. It was built in the shape of a circle, with stone steps leading up to a little platform. There were flowers lining the walls and a miniature pond off to the side. It didn't take Link long to recognize the location they were in. Zelda sat down on the steps and wrapped her arms around her knees. She looked up at Link expectantly, and he sat down beside her.

"The Council has offered to let me choose a personal guardian, a certain soldier specifically in charge of maintaining my safety and security at all times. I've neglected to choose someone for this role yet because I'd be forced to let this person accompany me everywhere. I don't know any soldiers who I'd want to spend that much time with. But now, one of my closest friends has just become a soldier himself. And he won't need to be fully committed to his position until the current general officially retires," she said softly, finding Link's eyes with her own.

"So I was wondering if that soldier would be willing to take on this extra responsibility, at least until he is no longer able to," she said. She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked up at him. Stupidly, Link said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Why wouldn't you want Ellis to do that?"

Zelda closed her eyes and sighed. That was not the answer she was hoping for.

"Ellis is not affiliated with the Hyrulean military," she explained. "At least not yet. The Council wants one of our own watching over me, at least until I am married. Besides, Ellis isn't here all the time. Since he doesn't live here yet, he still makes frequent trips back to Kanalet."

Link didn't respond, thinking about what this second job would entail. Was Zelda just asking him to be her guardian because she knew he could hold himself in a fight? Or did she truly want to spend time with him?

After a few seconds passed without Link speaking, Zelda cleared her throat.

"Well, you definitely do not have to take on this position," she said, smoothing out her dress over her thighs.

"Don't feel obligated to say yes just because I asked you. If you don't want to be my guardian, you don't have to be," she said, stealing a glance at Link's face, trying to gauge his reaction.

"No, Princess, I would be honored to be your personal guardian," Link said quickly, not wanting to offend her.

"I was just confused as to why you picked me," he admitted. Zelda rolled her eyes at him again. She seemed to enjoy doing that.

"I already told you, silly," she said with a grin. "You're the only soldier in the entire army that I can stand being around for extended periods of time."

"Right, of course," Link said, annoyed at himself for even thinking that this was Zelda's way of wanting to spend more time with him.

 _Of course it's not like that, you moron,_ his inner thoughts sneered at him.

"You'll still be training with the general to take over his position when he retires," Zelda told him. "By that time, I'll probably be married and won't need a personal guardian anymore, so it'll work out well."

 _Yes, this was exactly how I wanted things to work out_ , Link thought bitterly. But he refrained from showing any of his discontent to Zelda. He didn't want her to think he was unhappy at the thought of protecting her.

After sitting in the courtyard for a little while longer, Zelda surmised that they should probably head back indoors before someone caught them. If anyone saw Link sneaking around with the princess after hours, he'd be in a lot of trouble. Link brought Zelda back to the open window of her study, slipping back inside as if they had never left in the first place. Link bid Zelda good night and exited through the room's proper doors.

As he was walking through the castle's corridors to his room, Link heard a strange noise. It seemed to be coming from inside the walls themselves. He slowed his pace and listened carefully for the sound again. When he heard nothing, he shook his head and kept walking, assuming that he must be imagining things. But then he heard it again, and this time it sounded like it was coming from above his head. It sounded like laughter. Link stopped in his tracks and looked up at the ceiling, still seeing nothing. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He reached into his pouch and pulled out an item that had always helped him in these kinds of situations: the Lens of Truth.

Link held the purple lens up to his eye, surveying the hallway. He looked up, down, left, and right, but still saw nothing. He lifted the lens from his eye but still held it in his hand. Link continued walking down the carpeted pathway, eventually reaching the door to his room. He was turning the knob on the door when he heard it again - the distinct sound of laughter. It sounded so familiar. Link tried using the lens one more time, but again saw nothing. He figured he was just tired and delirious. He pushed the door open and sluggishly made his way to the bed. He didn't bother showering or changing, even though he probably still smelled horrible from training in the sun all day. He could deal with that tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to sleep, and to stop hearing things that weren't really there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back everyone! I finally found the time to reply to your lovely reviews.**

 **EricTheRed4444: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! And in regards to your first review, I've actually thought about doing something very similar to that haha. I'll probably include a scene like that somewhere within the next couple of chapters. Thank you again!**

 **KingPlotBunny: I love how much you hate Ellis lmao. Thank you for leaving multiple reviews, I hope you're enjoying it! There's some more zelink in this one, I'm sorry its such a slow burn. Don't worry about Ellis, he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later. I promise.**

 **Guest: Thank you! And no he wasn't. This story is just full of surprises for Link. To make things even, Zelda is going to get a little surprise in the chapter after this one...**

 **RandomReviewer: I'm glad you're intrigued! I hope you've liked the rest of the story after the first chapter, too. Let me know what you think!**

 **James Birdsong: Thank you! I hope you're still liking it!**

 **Awakening5: Thank you, I really appreciate it! I hope you've been enjoying it so far.**

 **dbzgfan2004: Thanks! I agree, zelink forever 100%.**

 **Thanks again to everyone who has followed and favorited! Let me know what you think of this one.**

* * *

The next few weeks went by without much excitement. Link was given a training schedule that took up most of his time during the day, which he was grateful for. Link worried that if he had too much free time, he would spend it all wallowing in his own self-pity and angst. Inwardly, he'd been dealing with some difficult emotions since his return to Hyrule. Sure, it was due in part to Zelda's engagement, but Link knew there was more to it than that. It had been a long time since he had really felt like himself, and he thought that coming back to this world would solve his problems. He was wrong.

Thankfully, Link didn't have a lot of time to sit around thinking about his own existential despair. Instead, he spent his days shadowing Alfonzo, working with the army's captains, and training new recruits.

When he wasn't working with the army, Link was putting in hours at his second job - Princess Zelda's personal bodyguard. And it was the easiest job in the world. Link usually guarded the princess in the evenings and on weekends, when her usual posse of guards had time off. His duties consisted of keeping Zelda in sight and remaining in her close proximity in order to fend off any attackers that may have threatened her. He would escort her back and forth between the castle, the town, and other parts of the kingdom, should she wish to visit them. This usually didn't occur, though, as the princess spent much of her time doing paperwork. If Zelda wished to spend the evening in her study, Link was only required to stand guard outside her door - there in case she needed him, but not imposing on her privacy.

Zelda, however, did not station Link outside her door when she was working in her office. Rather, she invited Link inside, often engaging in conversation with him. Zelda frequently went into detail about the different forms and ordinances that were part of her work, educating Link on Hyrule's economic policies, foreign affairs, and social issues. Over the past month, Link learned way more about Hyrule as a country than he ever thought he'd know. He had always known Zelda to be the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, but prior to this he had no clue just how truly intelligent she was.

Link was currently sitting on the floor of Zelda's office with his knees pulled in towards his chest. He listened attentively to the Princess, who was detailing how the Royal Council members were chosen. Link stifled a yawn as Zelda rambled on about the election process, and how it was important to balance democracy with monarchy in a country as large as Hyrule. The ever-observant princess, however, did not miss the sleepy look in Link's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, putting down the old book she was reading from.

"I know that politics can be quite boring." Link immediately shook his head, willing himself to seem more alert.

"No, Zelda! I'm never bored by this. I'm just tired, that's all. Seriously, I love listening to you."

She smiled, closing the book nevertheless. She rose from her chair and returned the book to its home on the shelf. She dragged a finger over the spines of the books until she stopped at one. She pulled it out and returned to her desk, this time walking past her chair and lowering herself next to Link on the floor. The book was made of brown leather that looked worn, as if it had been opened many times.

Zelda held the book up and grinned.

"I think I have a story that you'll like."

"A story?" Link gave her a quizzical look. "I thought all your books were educational texts that you got in princess classes."

"Most of them were." She plopped the book down in her lap and began to flip through its yellowed pages. "But the best part of princess classes was learning Hyrule's history. I'm sure you've heard of some of the legends of the world before Hyrule, yes?"

Link shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I've heard some old fairytales, but I don't think any of the stories told by the kids in Kokiri Forest are actually true."

"Yes," Zelda said softly, coming to a stop at a page about halfway through the book. She looked up from the book to meet Link's eyes.

"This was one of my favorite stories when I was growing up. This is the story of how the race we are descendants from, the humans, came down to earth. They eventually founded Hyrule, hence the name "Hylians." But according to my texts, all Hylians are technically still humans," she stared down at the book, gently running her hand over the page as if it were a valuable treasure.

"Would you like to hear the story, Link?" she asked him quietly. He nodded, adjusting his legs into a criss-crossed position so that he was more comfortable. Zelda smiled and began reading from the book. She told a story Link had never heard before. It was about a young woman who shared her name - and a young man who shared his. Link's pointy ears piqued with interest as Zelda's voice recounted the tale of a Zelda who was kidnapped from her home in the clouds, and a Link who ventured across a dangerous and unknown surface to save her.

"After ridding the world of the evil Demise and returning peace to the surface below, Zelda and Link returned to the earth to guard over the Triforce. Their descendants founded the first known kingdom of Hyrule. Legends say that the Triforce of Wisdom was intertwined with the spirit of Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage with the spirit of Link. Although the heroes of legend were mortal, their souls were cast into an endless cycle of reincarnation. The wise spirit of Zelda, and the courageous spirit of Link, are said to be reborn into the world whenever the balance of the Triforce is threatened.

"It's said that like the souls of Link and Zelda are eternally bound to each other, as the Goddess's final act of protection against evil. If the forces of wisdom and courage are united, the corrupt beings in search of divine power can never destroy Hyrule. Thus, the Triforce will always be kept safe."

Zelda closed the book, looking up at Link. He looked troubled.

"So…. I'm not the first Link?" Zelda shook her head.

"Technically, we're both reincarnations of the two in the story."

Link still wasn't satisfied.

"So, we're like…eternally bound together, or something?" he asked dumbly. He blushed when Zelda laughed.

"I don't know how accurate that part of the story is. I mean, how can it be so certain that the souls of the original Link and Zelda will always cross paths in every lifetime? You, for instance, were living in the Hyrule of the past for over a year…" she trailed off, staring down at the book in her lap. She went silent, and Link thought was done talking. Perhaps she had started reading the book again.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," she murmured.

For the first time since he'd been back in his adult body, Link thought about what Zelda had been through since the defeat of Ganondorf. As they sat on the floor together, staring at this old book, Link realized that he'd been so caught up in his own emotional turmoil that he hadn't stopped to consider what Princess Zelda's life was like. When she sent him back in time, of course didn't consider a possibility in which he'd return. Link himself didn't think it was possibly until it actually happened. No matter what connection she and Link may have shared a year ago, he had left. Zelda knew she needed to move on, so she did.

And Link suddenly felt extremely selfish and immature for being upset about it.

"It's late, Zelda. I should probably escort you to your room now." She nodded in agreement. The two stood up and made their way to the door. Zelda was still holding onto the leather book.

After a silent walk through the castle, Link and Zelda arrived at the door to her bedroom. As usual, the guards with the overnight shift were headed towards them from the other end of the hall. They'd be in charge of Zelda's protection while she slept. Link was free to go.

"Thanks for reading me that story tonight. I really enjoyed it."

Zelda clutched the old book to her chest as she breathed in.

"I'm glad. Thanks for listening. It's really nice to have a friend." Link gave her a lopsided grin.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for. I'm not eternally bound to you for nothing, right?" He expected a laugh, or even a smile, but none came from the princess. Instead she turned her head to the guards approaching them, then glanced back at Link.

"Yeah…I guess. Good night, Link." And with that, she slipped through the door and into her room.

* * *

A few days later, Link was sitting on the couch in Zelda's study, reading a book about the history of Hyrulean wars as Zelda wrote in a journal. Earlier she'd explained to him that it wasn't a personal diary, but a retelling of the events of her day related to the crown. Apparently, it was her duty as a princess to keep such official records.

"Link?" Zelda's voice floated through the air. He looked up from the page he was reading.

"Yes, my princess?" he asked. She blushed at this.

"Would you be willing to accompany me to the next Royal Council meeting? Sometimes I need the general to be present, and Alfonzo is sick." Link knew this, since Alfonzo had been absent from training the past few days.

"Sure, Zelda," Link said, reverting his attention back to the book. Zelda seemed surprised, as if she wasn't expecting him to agree so quickly.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Council meetings can be quite lengthy, and boring."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Link retorted. "So what's the point of saying no?"

"Touché," Zelda said.

"What's the meeting about?"

"The council wants the army to head to Lake Hylia soon. They think we've been evading this monster problem long enough, and that now is the time to take action. As the acting general, your opinion is needed on the matter."

Link bit his lip, trying to think of what his opinion would even be on the matter. He realized that he didn't know. Zelda sensed his distress.

"Don't worry if you don't know what to say. I'll be leading the meeting, and the men of the council are so full of themselves that they'll want to spend most of the discussion voicing their own opinions anyway," she said.

"You'll only have to talk if you want to. Otherwise, you can just silently agree with everything I say," she quipped, winking at him. Link rolled his eyes, as he was used to these kinds of jokes by now.

"Please, princess, you really think me to be that submissive? I would not roll over at your every command," he retorted. She scoffed, feigning indigence.

"Why, Sir Link, are you insinuating that you would disobey your princess?" she squeaked, pressing her palm to her chest in mock-offense.

"Only if my princess forces me sit through boring council meetings by myself," Link teased.

"General or not, I'll have you thrown in the dungeons if you defy me," she declared, smirking at him coyly.

"Not if I throw you in them first!" Link shouted, jumping up from the couch and running towards Zelda.

"No!" she shrieked, giggling as Link grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She squealed and kicked her legs in the air, pounding on his back with her fists.

"Link, put me down!" she yelled, but Link heard her laughing. He dashed out of the office with Zelda still slung over his shoulder. He made it through the hallway and down one flight of stairs when he realized that he actually had no idea where the castle dungeons were. He laughed loudly as he turned around, holding onto Zelda's legs with one arm and her back with the other.

"Zelda, where are the-" he stopped midsentence when he spun around and came face to face with Captain Viscen.

"Link?" He said, looking perplexed. His face morphed into shock when he realized who Link had in tow.

"Your Highness?"

"Oh hey, Viscen," Link said, immediately setting Zelda down. Once she realized they had company, she hurriedly attempted to fix her rumpled dress and smooth over her long blonde hair with her hands. She looked humiliated

"The Princess was just showing me where the dungeons were," Link said. Next to him, Zelda groaned and covered her face with her hand. Viscen looked at them uncertainly.

"Right….well, I was just heading home for the night… I'll see you tomorrow, Link." Looking at Zelda, he bowed deeply.

"Good night, Your Highness," he said politely. She nodded her head in thanks.

"Good night, Captain Viscen," she choked out, her usual elegance less apparent. Viscen waved goodbye and continued down the hallway. Link and Zelda watched him until he rounded a corner and vanished from their sight.

Link looked down at Zelda hesitantly, expecting her to yell at him, hit him, or worse - walk away without saying anything to him at all. Instead, she burst out laughing. Her girly giggle morphed into a real laugh, complete with a snort. Link couldn't help himself, he laughed along with her until he thought he could no longer breathe. Not wanting to draw any more unwanted attention to themselves, they ran back to Zelda's study. There, they continued reading and talking together until Link's shift was over for the night. Link's smile remained for hours after he went back to his own room.

The next morning, Link had his regular training with the captains. The weather was a bit more bearable than it had been since Link's first day on the job. Link wore the standard-issue army training tunic, which was navy blue with a silver stripe running diagonally across the chest. He also wore fitted cargo pants and his usual leather boots.

Link twirled a practice sword in his hand as he side-stepped around Viscen, whom he was currently fighting. The sword Link used for practice made him miss the Master Sword, which had not been present in the chest of items Impa presented him with weeks ago. Link knew that the sword, along with the Ocarina of Time, would never grace his hands again. There was a time when this thought would have made Link sad. An item that had been so crucial to his survival, so pivotal to his existence at a certain point in time, was suddenly absent from his life. Link spent many anguished months questioning his purpose in life since his triumph over Ganondorf. The loss of the Master Sword and the ocarina symbolized, and only further solidified, the ending of that chapter in Link's life.

The month of training he promised Impa was coming to an end. In less than a week, Link would be free to leave Hyrule and never return. But his time spent with the army, and his time spent with Zelda, were positively impacting his life in a way he didn't think possible. He felt far less depressed. Link thought he finally found a new purpose in life. He wasn't exactly where he wanted to be, but he had one thing now that he didn't have a month ago: hope.

"Ow!" He shouted, clutching his bicep. Viscen had just slashed Link's arm, creating a small cut. Link scolded himself for getting distracted.

"Ha! I finally got you," Viscen proclaimed triumphantly. "I always knew this day would come."

Link grumbled, but accepted the loss.

"So, are we going to talk about what's going on with you and the princess?" Viscen said casually, twirling his sword around in his hand.

"Nothing's going on with me and the princess," Link said flatly, but he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks.

"Oh, come on Link, don't pretend like I didn't see you two yesterday. You were carrying her over your shoulder, giggling like a schoolgirl." Link sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to play this off as nothing.

"Okay, I'm a little more than Zelda's personal guardian. We're friends," he admitted, pushing his hair off his forehead. Viscen raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, because it's totally normal for friends to carry each other around the castle like that." He gave Link a sly smile.

"Come on, Link, I'm not an idiot," he pestered. "You can tell me anything! I _swear_ I won't tell anyone else." He lifted his left hand while placing his right hand over his heart, as if he was ready to take this oath to the grave. Link rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I told you man, there's _nothing_ going on between me and Zelda," he insisted.

"You and _Zelda?"_ came an intrigued voice from behind Link.

"You're on a first name basis with the princess?" said the eavesdropper, who turned out to be Captain Jameson. He grinned at Link and let out a low whistle. Viscen nodded in approval. Link groaned in frustration.

"Yes, I am on a first name basis with the princess because I am her personal guardian and _friend_ , but we are nothing more than that," Link reiterated.

"After all, she has a fiancé," he muttered quietly, as if it were an afterthought.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho, yeah," Viscen laughed, looking at Link with a wild expression.

"Hoo, that Ellis has a temper. He would _not_ have been happy if he saw what I saw yesterday." Vision said. Jameson gasped and whipped his head towards Viscen.

"What?" he cried. "What did you see yesterday? Why haven't you told me about it?"

 _Wow, these soldiers really do like to gossip,_ Link thought. If he ever had a secret, he would have to be extra careful not to accidentally divulge it during training.

"Nothing!" Viscen shouted. "I saw nothing yesterday." He looked at Link pointedly. Link rolled his eyes.

"I have to leave now. I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Two days later, Link and Zelda walked side by side towards the large chamber on the ground floor of the castle. They were about to begin the council meeting that Link was attending in Alfonzo's place. Link was nervous. He didn't know what to expect. According to Zelda, most of these guys were pompous assholes who didn't like to be wrong. Link had a feeling that he wouldn't be well-liked if he disagreed with whatever decisions the council made in regards to the Lake Hylia problem.

But that didn't matter to Link. He wasn't there to make friends. He was there to give his honest opinion, and advise Zelda as the standing general of army. He wasn't going to disappoint Alfonzo by blindly agreeing with the members of the council on whatever they decided. He could only hope that if there were arguments, they remained civil.

Just then, Link felt a slight pressure on his left hand. He looked down and saw that Zelda had taken his hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

"Don't worry Link. I'll do most of the talking." She beamed at him. Her hair was in a half-up, half-down style that Link admired greatly. It drew attention to her lovely face while still hanging down loosely over her shoulders. She was wearing her traditional princess dress, the pink one, with white gloves that extended over the elbows. Link surmised that she had to dress this way for all Royal Council meetings. Link himself was wearing his typical ensemble of the green tunic and cap, as well as his adventure pouch and sword slung around his back.

Link and Zelda stopped upon reaching the doorway to the guards in front of them pulled open the heavy doors, revealing the chamber in which the council sat, awaiting Princess Zelda's arrival. Once they had walked through the doors, Link followed Zelda to the head of a long mahogany table. All the chairs around the table were occupied, except for the one at the head, which Link guessed was Zelda's spot, and the one on her right hand side. As Zelda walked to her spot, the members of the council all stood in respect. Once she reached her seat, she gestured for Link to sit at the empty seat to her right.

"Good morning, everyone," Zelda said as soon as everyone was settled in.

"What is first on the agenda for today, Demetrius?" Zelda asked the man sitting to her left. He was a small man with thick glasses and wispy white hair. He fumbled with some papers when Zelda addressed him.

"Yes, Your Highness. The first item on today's agenda is the tax rates on Hyrule's businesses."

Zelda and the council members then divulged into the pros and cons of lowering taxes for business owners, sharing thoroughly researched statistics and essays with the princess. They continued like that for about an hour, bouncing from topic to topic as Demetrius checked items off his list. Link was quite impressed with how knowledgable Zelda was. She was well educated on every single topic the council discussed, providing insightful and useful responses to every issue. Simply put, she was a natural born leader. Link didn't understand why the council thought she needed a king.

"That brings us to the problem with Lake Hylia," Demetrius said, striking his pen through another line on his paper.

"Yes, and Sir Link is here in the place of General Alfonzo. He and I will now hear the thoughts of the council on this matter."

The council members then went into detail about the monster problem in Lake Hylia, and how it was becoming more of a serious threat to Hyrule. In their opinion, it seemed to be in the best interests of the kingdom to send armed troops straight to the location and deal with the problem head on. Truthfully, Link didn't see a problem with this strategy. As long as some soldiers stayed behind to guard the castle in case something happened in their absence. He looked at Zelda, who nodded once.

"I don't see any issue with this plan," Link said. "I'll take this back to my men and see what they think."

"Wonderful, so the matter is settled then," Zelda said, looking pleased. "Is there anything else on the agenda today, Demetrius?" The man in question looked down at his schedule once again.

"Actually, there is, Your Highness. Since construction on the castle is almost complete, we need to make preparations for the grand re-opening ball."

Zelda's face lit up. "Is it that time already?" She clapped her hands together in delight.

"We must send invitations out to everyone in the kingdom at once."

The council members launched into the specifics of the ball that was apparently going to be taking place in a little over one month's time. Zelda remained animated throughout the entire discussion, energetically nodding her head and making wild hand gestures as she spoke. Link had no idea that Zelda would be this excited about a dance.

"Everyone should have a week to RSVP," said Leonidas, one of the slightly younger-looking men sitting at the table.

"That way, we have ample time to obtain an accurate head count and make the dinner preparations accordingly."

"Of course," Zelda agreed. "Just to be safe though, we should assume that every noble who is of age will be bringing their significant other."

Leonidas spoke up again. "But this is not a couples ball, Your Highness. Guests are not required to show up in pairs."

"No, but most of them will, Leonidas," Zelda said. "It's not very fun to attend these types of functions alone. I, for example, will be in attendance with my husband-to-be, Link."

Link's heart stopped beating. The room went silent. Zelda looked around at the council members who were staring at her with blank expressions. She seemed confused, and was about to say something when she stopped herself. Her eyes widened as her slip-up dawned on her.

"Er...I'm sure you meant your-husband-to-be _Ellis_ , right, Your Highness?" asked Demetrius tentatively.

"Yes, yes of course," Zelda muttered, shaking her head. Her face was a deep red. "I only confused Ellis with Link because Link is sitting right here next to me." She let out a loud shriek that was originally supposed to be a laugh.

"Of course he, as the general-in-training, will be invited with a plus-one," Zelda said, clearing her throat.

"Well, I think that's all we have on the agenda for today, right Demetrius?"

"Let me double check, Your Hi-"

"-Yes! Wonderful, thank you Demetrius. As always, thank you for your time, gentleman. Meeting adjourned. Good day."

Zelda promptly stood up, her chair making a horrible squeaking sound against the floors as it was pushed back. She hurried out of the room quickly, leaving a dumbfounded Link still sitting at the Council table.


End file.
